Pipe Weight Calculator

Find a pipe’s weight, wall volume and weight per foot from its dimensions.

Ten materials plus a custom density, with metric and imperial length, volume and mass units.

Updated October 23, 2026

CreatorFrank Zhao

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What this calculator answers

A pipe is specified by its size and moved by its weight. This calculator turns one into the other: enter the outside diameter, the wall thickness and the length, choose the material, and read the volume of the wall, the weight of one length, the weight per metre or per foot, and the total for an order of identical pieces.

The result is the weight of the pipe material itself. It does not include the water, gas or slurry inside the pipe, and it does not include couplings, flanges, coatings or linings. For one length those additions are usually small; for a lorry load they can matter, so add them separately when they do.

The calculator also runs in reverse. If a supplier quotes a weight per metre, type it with the length and one cross-section measurement and the other dimension is filled in. If you know the total load you can carry, type it and the calculator will show the corresponding number of lengths, which you then round to a whole piece.

One pipe: for a trolley, a lift, a two-person carry or a courier.
Weight per metre or foot: for a long run where the total length is known but the number of lengths is not.
An order total: for a delivery, a pallet limit or a trailer capacity.
A reverse solve: from a quoted weight, a measured volume or a linear density back to the pipe that produced it.

Weight here means mass, as the trade uses the word

The kilograms and pounds on this page describe how much material there is. That is what a scale, a courier and a crane load chart report. Strictly, weight is a force: a 32.75 kg length presses down with about $\ 321\ \mathrm{N}$ on Earth. For buying, carrying and loading, the mass is the number you need.

How to get a pipe weight

Choose the material

The menu loads a nominal density for PVC, irons and steels, aluminum, brass or copper. If your pipe is an alloy or a batch with its own data sheet, choose Custom material and type the density.

Enter two of the three cross-section measurements

Outside diameter and wall thickness are the usual pair. Inside diameter and wall also work, and outside and inside diameter work too: the calculator fills in the measurement you left out. Keep the units straight; each box accepts its own unit, so millimetres and inches can sit side by side.

Enter one length

This is the length of a single pipe, not the whole run. The run belongs in the quantity box later, so a 6 m length ordered 24 times is entered as 6 m and 24 pieces.

Read the single-pipe result

Volume is the volume of the wall material. Linear density is the weight of one metre or one foot. Weight is the weight of one length.

Set the quantity

The total weight is the single weight multiplied by the number of identical lengths. The count must be a whole number.

A worked example: 60.3 mm steel pipe, 3.91 mm wall, 6 m

Choose mild steel, set the diameter and wall boxes to millimetres, and enter an outside diameter of 60.3 mm, a wall of 3.91 mm and a length of 6 m. The calculator first finds the bore:

D_{\mathrm{i}} = 60.3 - 2(3.91)

=

52.48\ \mathrm{mm}

It then uses the outside diameter and the wall, both expressed in centimetres, to find the volume of the wall over the 6 m length:

V = \frac{\pi}{4} \times 600 \times

\left(6.03^{2} - 5.248^{2}\right)

=

4{,}156.04\ \mathrm{cm^3}

Multiplying by the density of mild steel gives the weight of one length:

W = 4{,}156.04 \times 7.88

=

32{,}749.6\ \mathrm{g}

=

32.7496\ \mathrm{kg}

Dividing by the length gives the figure a pipe schedule would quote:

\mu = \frac{32.7496}{6}

=

5.45827\ \mathrm{kg/m}

And for 24 lengths the order total is:

W_{\mathrm{total}} = 32.7496 \times 24

=

785.991\ \mathrm{kg}

The order of the steps does not matter: the calculator recalculates as soon as it has enough information. If the numbers describe an impossible pipe — a wall at least as thick as the radius, or a bore larger than the outside diameter — the field turns red and explains which measurement is inconsistent instead of silently correcting it.

How the wall volume becomes a weight

A pipe is a ring, not a solid circle. The material is the region between the outside diameter and the bore, so the calculation is the area of that ring multiplied by the length, then multiplied by the density of the material.

From two diameters, or from diameter and wall

The ring area is the outside circle minus the bore. The same area can be written with the outside diameter and the wall thickness, which are usually the two measurements you can take with a caliper:

A_{\mathrm{wall}} = \frac{\pi}{4}\left(D_{\mathrm{o}}^{2} - D_{\mathrm{i}}^{2}\right)

A_{\mathrm{wall}} = \frac{\pi}{4}\left(D_{\mathrm{o}}^{2} - D_{\mathrm{i}}^{2}\right)

=

\pi\, t \left(D_{\mathrm{o}} - t\right)

The volume is that area times the length, and the weight is the volume times the density:

V = A_{\mathrm{wall}}\,L

W = V\rho

The linear density is the weight of one unit of length, and the order total multiplies the single weight by the number of identical pipes:

\mu = \frac{W}{L}

W_{\mathrm{total}} = nW

What the calculator can solve backwards

Any two of outside diameter, inside diameter and wall determine the third:
$t = \frac{D_{\mathrm{o}} - D_{\mathrm{i}}}{2}$ $\qquad D_{\mathrm{o}} = D_{\mathrm{i}} + 2t$
A known volume with a length and a wall gives the outside diameter, and the same volume with a length and an outside diameter gives the wall:
$D_{\mathrm{o}} = t + \frac{V}{\pi Lt}$ $\qquad L = \frac{V}{\pi t \left(D_{\mathrm{o}} - t\right)}$
When the wall is the missing number, it is the smaller root of a quadratic; the calculator returns that physical root, the one below half the outside diameter.
A known weight with a density gives the volume. A known linear density with a length gives the single weight. A known total weight with a single weight gives the number of whole pipes.

You do not have to start from the dimensions

A supplier’s per-metre figure, a measured weight or a quoted volume can be the first input. The calculator follows the chain in either direction: weight to volume to a diameter, or a diameter and wall to volume to weight. The only thing to watch is that the answer you type is consistent with the material density and the units; if it is not, the red field tells you which part of the picture does not fit.

Density is a property, not a free variable

When a material is selected from the menu, its density is treated as a property of that material and the box is locked. A typed weight or volume will not quietly rewrite it. If your pipe is a different alloy, a composite or a batch with a mill certificate, choose Custom material and enter the density yourself.

Mixed units are allowed

Each box carries its own unit. You can enter the outside diameter in millimetres, the wall in inches and the length in feet; the calculator converts them to a common scale before multiplying and converts the answer back to the unit you chose for the result. The density menu works the same way, whether you think in kilograms per cubic metre, grams per cubic centimetre, pounds per cubic inch or pounds per cubic foot.

What each result tells you

Four numbers come out, and they answer four different questions. Reading the right one for the job is more useful than reading the largest one.

Volume is the wall, not the bore

The volume on the card is the volume of the material that forms the pipe. In the 60.3 mm example it is 4,156.04 cm³ of steel. The bore of that same 6 m length holds a different amount of space:

V_{\mathrm{bore}} = \frac{\pi}{4} \times 5.248^{2} \times 600

\approx

12{,}978.63\ \mathrm{cm^3}

\approx

12.98\ \mathrm{L}

That is the number to use when the question is “how much water will this pipe hold?”. The wall volume is the number to use when the question is “how much does the pipe weigh?”.

The fluid inside is a separate load

The calculator does not add the contents of the pipe. If you need the combined weight of pipe and fluid, calculate the bore volume, multiply it by the fluid density, and add the result to the pipe weight. For a line that is being lifted or supported, the fluid load is often the larger of the two.

Linear density is the number for a long run

Linear density is the weight of one metre or one foot of the same pipe. For a fixed cross-section and material it does not change when you change the length you type: a cut length weighs less, but each metre of it weighs the same. That is why a pipe schedule quotes kilograms per metre or pounds per foot, and why the figure is useful when a supplier sells a whole run rather than a fixed number of lengths.

The same cross-section in every material

The cross-section is 60.3 mm outside diameter with a 3.91 mm wall, so one metre of wall is 692.674 cm³. Only the density changes between rows:

Material	Density (g/cm³)	Weight per metre (kg/m)	Weight of 6 m (kg)
Polyvinyl chloride or PVC	1.45	1.00438	6.02626
Pure iron	7.86	5.44442	32.6665
Wrought iron	7.75	5.36822	32.2093
Carbon steel	7.84	5.43056	32.5834
Mild steel	7.88	5.45827	32.7496
Stainless steel	8.03	5.56217	33.373
Aluminum	2.70	1.87022	11.2213
Brass	8.50	5.88773	35.3264
Copper	8.96	6.20636	37.2381
Custom material	your density	—	—

These are nominal handbook densities, not certificates. The difference between mild steel and stainless steel is about 2%, which is small on one length and visible on a lorry load. The difference between steel and PVC is a factor of more than five, which changes how the same length is handled, transported and supported.

Weight is one length; total weight is the order

Weight is the single pipe. Total weight is that figure multiplied by the quantity. The quantity must be a whole number, because a part length is not a pipe you can hand over or load. If a total weight you type does not divide into a whole number of pipes, the count is shown as a fraction and flagged; choose a whole number for the load.

When a result is red

A red field means the numbers contradict each other or the result has left the realistic range. The number stays visible so you can see what happened, and the message says which measurement is the problem. Check the units first, then the measurement, then the other cross-section numbers. A wall at least as thick as the radius, for example, leaves no hole through the pipe.

Weight and force are not the same thing

The number is mass. If a load chart, a sling rating or a physics problem asks for force, multiply the mass by the acceleration due to gravity:

F = m\,g

On Earth, $g \approx 9.81\ \mathrm{m/s^2}$ , so a 32.75 kg length presses down with about 321 N. Most construction load charts state their limits in kilograms or pounds already, so use the mass as shown.

Moving to a different shape? If the job needs the weight of plate, bar, wire, a ring or another stock form, or an alloy outside this menu, the Metal Weight Calculator covers 51 metals and those shapes and is the better starting point.

Three practical jobs

The same inputs answer quite different questions on site. These examples use the calculator’s displayed values, rounded only for the sentence.

A drainage order: twelve PVC lengths

A contractor needs twelve 5.8 m lengths of 110 mm PVC drainage pipe with a 3.2 mm wall. The trailer has to carry them, and one person has to be able to handle a length.

Choose PVC (1.45 g/cm³), set the diameter and wall boxes to millimetres, and enter 110 mm outside diameter, 3.2 mm wall, 5.8 m length and a quantity of 12. The bore is:

D_{\mathrm{i}} = 110 - 2(3.2)

=

103.6\ \mathrm{mm}

The wall volume comes out as:

V = 6{,}227.29\ \mathrm{cm^3}

Multiplying by the density of PVC gives the weight of one length:

W = 6{,}227.29 \times 1.45

=

9{,}029.57\ \mathrm{g}

=

9.02957\ \mathrm{kg}

W_{\mathrm{total}} = 12 \times 9.02957

=

108.355\ \mathrm{kg}

One length is under 10 kg, so it is a comfortable one-person carry; the whole order is about 108 kg, which is a small trailer load before any fittings or packaging are added.

Checking a supplier’s weight per metre

A supplier quotes 5.46 kg/m for a 6 m steel pipe with a 3.91 mm wall. You want to know whether that figure belongs to the pipe you think you are buying.

Choose mild steel, enter the quoted 5.46 kg/m as the linear density, a length of 6 m and a wall of 3.91 mm (or 0.391 cm, if the box is still in centimetres). The weight follows directly:

W = 5.46 \times 6

=

32.76\ \mathrm{kg}

With the density and the wall, the wall volume and then the outside diameter follow:

V = \frac{32{,}760}{7.88}

=

4{,}157.36\ \mathrm{cm^3}

D_{\mathrm{o}} = 3.91 +

\frac{4{,}157{,}360}{\pi \times 6{,}000 \times 3.91}

=

60.3179\ \mathrm{mm}

The quote is consistent with a 60.3 mm outside diameter and a 3.91 mm wall, allowing for the rounding of the 5.46 figure. If the outside diameter had come out at 58 mm or 63 mm, the quoted weight would describe a different pipe, and you would want to check the dimensions before ordering.

Filling a trailer to a load limit

A trailer can take 1,000 kg. The steel pipe from the first example weighs 32.7496 kg per 6 m length. How many whole lengths fit?

With the geometry still in place, type 1,000 kg into Total weight. The calculator solves the count:

n = \frac{1{,}000}{32.7496}

\approx

30.5347

That is a fractional count, so the calculator shows the number and flags it rather than pretending a part length exists. Clear that total, set the quantity to a whole number, and the total updates. The two whole-number options are:

30 \times 32.7496 = 982.488\ \mathrm{kg}

31 \times 32.7496 = 1{,}015.24\ \mathrm{kg}

Thirty lengths fit with about 17.5 kg to spare; thirty-one are over the limit. The calculator is a planning aid here, not a weight certificate: for a public-road load or an overhead lift, use the actual weights and a qualified person.

Measurements that change the answer

Most wrong pipe weights come from one of five inputs, not from the formula. These are the checks worth making before you trust the number.

Measure the outside diameter, not the trade size

A pipe sold under a nominal trade size is not always measured by that number across the outside. Steel pipe is the classic case: the trade size is a label, while the actual outside diameter is larger. Put the caliper on the actual pipe. Using the nominal figure as the outside diameter is the single most common source of a weight that is several per cent out.

Read the wall in more than one place

Wall thickness varies around the circumference and along the length. For a new pipe, use a representative average; for a used or corroded pipe, use the thinnest reading you find, because that is the wall that is actually carrying the load.

Turn fractions into decimals before typing

A number field wants a decimal. One eighth of an inch is 0.125 in, three sixteenths is 0.1875 in, and five sixteenths is 0.3125 in. If fractions are easier on the tape, switch that box to millimetres and type the decimal equivalent.

Use the certificate density when it matters

The menu carries nominal handbook densities. A mill certificate or a supplier data sheet is specific to the heat and may differ by a fraction of a per cent. On a small order that is noise; on a large one it is worth choosing Custom material and typing the certified figure.

Weigh one length if you can

If a scale is available, weigh one length and compare it with the calculated figure. A close match confirms the density and the dimensions; a large difference usually means a nominal size was entered as the outside diameter, or the pipe is a different material from the one selected.

Add coatings, linings and fittings separately

The calculation is for the bare wall. A coated or lined pipe carries extra material, and flanges, couplings or threaded ends add weight at every joint. Ask the supplier for a weight per metre for the finished product, or add the pieces you know; on a long line these additions can be larger than the difference between two similar steels.

Questions people ask

Can I use this calculator for Schedule 40 or Schedule 80 pipe?

Yes. A schedule is a wall-thickness family for a given nominal size, not a separate calculation. Enter the actual outside diameter and the wall thickness for that schedule, and the calculator does the rest. If you only know the schedule name, look up its wall thickness first; the schedule itself is not one of the inputs.

Why is the calculated weight different from a pipe chart or mill certificate?

Charts and certificates are not the same kind of number. A chart usually uses a nominal density and a rounded per-metre figure. A mill certificate describes a specific heat of material, with its own chemistry and density. The wall also has a manufacturing tolerance, and coatings or end finishes add material that this calculator does not include. When the difference matters, use the certificate or a measured weight and treat this result as a planning estimate.

Does changing the length change the weight per metre?

No, not for the same cross-section and material. Doubling the length doubles the single-pipe weight and leaves the linear density unchanged, because the linear density is the weight divided by the length. That is exactly why the per-metre figure is the convenient one for a long run: you look it up once and multiply by the total length.

\mu = \frac{W}{L}

\qquad \mu \text{ is unchanged when } W \text{ and } L \text{ scale together}

Where the number stops

This is a planning estimate, not a certified weight. A supplier’s measured figure, a mill certificate or a rated load chart takes precedence when one is available.
The material densities are nominal handbook values. Choose Custom material and use a certificate density when the material or the order size makes the difference matter.
Manufacturing wall tolerance, coatings, linings, couplings, flanges and end fittings are not included. Add them separately when they are part of the load.
The fluid inside the pipe is not included. A full line can weigh substantially more than the bare pipe, especially with water or slurry.
Do not use this page as a rigging plan, a lift plan or a structural certification. For overhead lifting, scaffolding, structural work or any safety-critical load, use the manufacturer’s rated weight and a competent person.
On a used or corroded pipe, the wall you measure is the wall you have. The weight of the remaining material is an estimate, and the thinnest reading is the one that matters for strength.

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